Too rude for the road: DVLA hot list of banned numberplates

The Register has obtained a list of the rudest words you'll never see on car number plates: the official list of banned registration marks from the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Authority (DVLA).

We almost don't want to sully the pure reputation of our website by publishing all the combinations of letters and numbers on our pages, but we believe in focusing our unflinching gaze on the truth so we decided to share some of them here.

DVLA bans registration marks that could potentially cause offence. A DVLA spokesperson said: "Having reviewed the appropriateness of these registration marks we have withdrawn these marks as they could cause offence or embarrassment on the grounds of political or racial sensitivities or are in poor taste."

The authority will from time to time add others. Chesterfield resident Alan Clarke was ordered to change the number plate on his Land Rover in June this year after it was discovered to read "BO11 LUX". The DVLA initially agreed to its registration only to request its removal weeks later.

Some of the banned marks are quite simply just offensive to minority groups, others are words related to crime – MU12 DER (murder) or PE12 ADO (pea do) – and religion – KO12 ANN (Koran) and TO12 AHH (Torah) are both banned.

NA12 ZEE (Nazi) and PE12 VRT (Pervert) are also out. So is VA61 NOB – for obvious reasons – as are multiple variations of the homophobic insult "fag". And no, you can't have a car registration plate with JE12 KOF on it.

Some milder words are banned too, we guess because they are particularly inappropriate in a driving context LE61 ESS (legless) or DD12 UNK (drunk).

More obscure bits of slang relating to gangs are out too: including YA12 DEE and YA12 DES – Yardy, British Jamaican slang for someone from a gang or a prison mate. TR12 ADS and TR12 DDS (Triads) are also on the blacklist.

OK, go wash your eyes out. ®

Update

The DVLA has got back to us to say that "in July, having reviewed [Alan Clarke's] case, we reversed our decision and Mr Clarke was notified that he could retain his number".